United Nations to scale up assistance to Northern Uganda

(New York: 21 November 2003): Following the recent visit of Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland to Northern Uganda, United Nations agencies have committed to expanding the UN's presence and activities in northern and eastern Uganda. This consensus emerged after the Emergency Relief Coordinator discussed the situation in northern and eastern Uganda with senior colleagues from UN departments, agencies, funds and programmes, as well as donors. Steps are already underway to send additional humanitarian aid workers to the north to meet the increasing emergency needs there.
The situation in the north has worsened since summer 2002. The number of persons internally displaced by fighting, and in dire need of humanitarian assistance and protection, has increased from 600,000 to over 1.3 million, while the districts beset by conflict have risen from three to eight. Children, in particular, have suffered enormously. The Lord' Resistance Army had abducted more than 10,000 children since June 2002, the highest number since the insurgency began. All children are at risk of being abducted, forced to fight and commit atrocities, and subjected to sexual violence and sexual slavery. To escape this fate, tens of thousands of children-"night commuters"--leave their homes each evening, seeking protection in towns. In Kitgum and Gulu, for example, the Emergency Relief Coordinator found that there are 27,000 night commuters. This trend is also reported in other districts as well.

"This is a war against children. They are abducted, abused and violated," Egeland said.

Despite the dramatic increase in needs, it remains extremely difficult to deliver humanitarian aid outside the main northern and eastern towns without the use of military escorts. The escorts accompany food convoys to camps for displaced persons in northern Uganda. The utter lack of security has made it nearly impossible to maintain a humanitarian presence in these areas, meaning there is no sustainable assistance for health, education or other basic services.

"I urge those concerned to take all possible steps to allow free, unhindered and secure humanitarian access to those in need," the Emergency Relief Coordinator said.

For further information, please call: Stephanie Bunker, OCHA NY, 917 367 5126, mobile 917 892 1679; Elizabeth Byrs, OCHA Geneva, 41 22 917 2653, mobile 41(0) 79 472 4570.